before & after: justine’s backsplash + carrie’s lamp vases

I know that once an idea enters your mind, it’s impossible to get rid of it. After all, I’ve seen Inception . . . twice. So be prepared for a pretty awesome idea to enter your consciousness: chevron chalkboard backsplash. Justine has planted the seed of DIY genius and it’s going to haunt you, trust me. In all seriousness, I love how this turned out. If I was on the fence about chalkboard paint before, that’s no longer the case. The best part of Justine’s design is the visual combination of hand-drawn irregularities and the repetition of a continuous pattern. Justine is studying graphic design at Columbus College of Art and Design, and her love of pattern obviously shows here. While most chalkboard iterations have involved prose, to-do lists or notes — all of which I love, by the way — this is one of the first uses I’ve seen of a wallpaper or tile-like pattern being re-created in chalk. It’s one of those imperfect designs that manages to yield more beauty than a totally regimented project. As Justine points out, the medium provides amazing flexibility. If you get water on the design, not a problem. Simply redraw it, or scrap it and make a new one. You can read more about this backsplash and Justine’s other home redesign projects on her website, The Elefanta. Great work, Justine! — Kate

Have a before & after you’d like to share? Shoot me an email with your images right here! (Low res, under 500k per image, please.)

When I see these types of light fixtures, I usually cringe because I’m reminded of similar ones that hung outside my parents’ old house in Maine. In the summer, the lamp bases would fill with so many dead bug bodies that you couldn’t see up to the bulb, and the sound of incessant buzzing echoes in my ears to this day. Ugh. But I’m actually glad I have that memory; it makes this transformation from jewelry designer Carrie Saxl all the more amazing, and now when I see these fixtures in salvage shops I can conjure up this beautiful “after” image instead. Carrie’s husband was replacing the old fixtures and had the creative vision to use them as vases. Carrie decided to give them a makeover with a few coats of spray lacquer and some painters tape. I would never have come up with this color combination, but it’s perfect! The colors are beautifully reminiscent of an older era, and they provide the perfect complement to the vintage fixtures’ diamond cut design. I must also add that Carrie’s tape and paint job looks impeccable, which is no small feat when dealing with such curved, irregular shapes. Great makeover, Carrie!

The vases are amazing. I see those lamp shades at the thrift store all the time and would never have thought of using them like that – the group looks so pretty – some people have such good ideas don’t they?

Rad, this kitchen rocks. Just redid mine in a fairly classic style (seeing how I don’t think we’re going to be able to afford to do it again for 25 years!) and am now feeling slightly underwhelmed in comparison to this graphic redo…

Thanks so much everyone! I had lots of fun making the vases and I’m tempted to find more vintage fixtures to experiment with. Kara, I think the flowers are some kind of lily, maybe tiger lilies? We live in Napa and they’ve been appearing randomly in our backyard.

I don’t think I would use chalkboards in an area that I am preparing food. Chalk dust gets everywhere and is nearly impossible to completely get rid of, and I wouldn’t want that anywhere near my food or ingredients.

Ok I’m so in love with both of these ideas! That chalkboard idea is killer!! Who cares about chalk dust I say, it’s not like it’s getting changed everyday once the pattern is on! Love when people think outside the box!!

I just painted the inside of a couple of glass vases black for a black “milk glass” effect…they look great and a tad halloween creepy…I did it on the interior so the glass would give a shine. I started with regular paint and poured a bit inside and swirled it around….bad idea..the paint was running to the bottom. Then I cleaned it out, and I carefully lightly spray painted it in a few thin coats and it turned out amazing it dried very fast!…I put candles in them. If your going to paint glass in wide areas, use spray paint!…

Great idea to turn the lighting fixtures into vases. I bought an old “bowl-like” lighting fixture (jadeite green faceted glass) for my recreated 1950s kitchen. When it didn’t work as a light I turned it into a terrific fruit bowl!

Thanks for all the great comments everyone! I really enjoy my backsplash and I’ve actually had it for a couple months and rest assure to anyone who’s interested in doing it themselves, I’ve had no problems with chalk getting in or near my food.It’s pretty stuck on there and I change the design often. :) ENJOY!

I love the idea of a chalkboard backsplash! I hate my ugly 80s tile backsplash with a passion, and would love to try this technique. But how would that work with the tile? Does anyone have any thoughts? Or any other ideas on how I could disguise it?

@Molly, thanks MollyPolly, nice to have such an appreciative roommate.

@Amanda, there are special paints design to go over tile, you might want to look into those, what kind of tile? (ie. square, subway etc?) feel free to send me pics to my email (justinearreche@gmail.com) and I may be able to offer some ideas?

@Karen the wall above the cabinets is painted the same color as my walls which is now a light blue to accent my red accessories.

@Kara – those flowers are Amaryllis belladonna. They’re called Naked Ladies because they shoot up straight out of the ground with little to no foliage, poor things! But they have a wonderful scent that some people describe as chocolatey, and others swear is bubblegum. Definitely one of my favourites in arrangements and in landscapes.

Thanks Susan, I’m glad to know what the flowers are after thinking they were lilies all this time!

Kate- The light fixtures I used were already painted on the exterior with the white paint that you see in the before pictures. For the color I chose spray paint made for exterior multi-surface (i.e. plastic, metal etc.) which is made to stand up to water and the elements and to stick to glossy surfaces. I did a final coat with a clear spray lacquer for an added layer of protection and shine.
To make sure that the paint really adheres to the glass you could probably brush on a primer made for painting ceramic tile or Gripper paint from home depot which sticks to nearly everything.
I hope that is helpful!

Design*Sponge reserves the right to restrict comments that do not contribute constructively to the conversation at hand, contain profanity, personal attacks, hate speech or seek to promote a personal or unrelated business. Our goal is to create a safe space where everyone (commenters, subjects of posts and moderators) feels comfortable to speak. Please treat others the way you would like to be treated and be willing to take responsibility for the impact your words may have on others. Disagreement, differences of opinion and heated discussion are welcome, but comments that do not seek to have a mature and constructive dialogue will not be published. We moderate all comments with great care and do not delete any lightly. Please note that our team (writers, moderators and guests) deserve the same right to speak and respond as you do, and your comments may be responded to or disagreed with. These guidelines help us maintain a safe space and work toward our goal of connecting with and learning from each other.